


The Wastes

by orphan_account



Series: Fill the Void [42]
Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Zombie Apocalypse, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Minor Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-25
Updated: 2020-04-25
Packaged: 2021-03-02 04:34:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,363
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23839186
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Ryan hasn't been around people in a very long time. So when he gets a tag-along by the name Jeremy, he starts to develop feelings he hasn't considered in a long time.
Relationships: Jeremy Dooley/Ryan Haywood
Series: Fill the Void [42]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1663750
Comments: 8
Kudos: 76





	The Wastes

Five years since the breakout and you think it’d get easier, this life. Five years later and you think you’d finally find a place to settle down, have kids, get a dog, I don’t know, _something_ other than this.

This being the new normal: barricading yourself into a room for the night so you can manage to get a few hours of sleep, getting chased out of a safe zone because they don’t believe that scratch on your arm was from a thorn, searching the already empty chain stores for something to eat. _That’s_ the new normal. This is life.

Life isn’t easy on your own. That’s why people are supposed to stick it together. They’re designed to seek out others like them. Falls back on old instincts before humans decided to evolve into what they are today—and then to eventually devolve into what plagues the world this day. Namely: zombies.

When Ryan met Jeremy, he thought the guy wouldn’t last a week trailing after him, seeking out protection or companionship, something Ryan hadn’t really felt in a long time. Jeremy was stocky but small. He wasn’t as careful, had said he needed to run from a safe zone when it became compromised. He’d lost his troop and had stumbled upon Ryan when travelling through a ghost town. Ryan hadn’t been thrilled when Jeremy just wouldn’t _leave_ but now he’s grown used to him.

See, Ryan is what we would call a Feral. Someone who’s been out on their own for too long, has been isolated away from humans for too long to the point where his speech is rough and stilted and he feels a little bit, well, _feral._ He’s human—one hundred percent so, but he hasn’t spent time with someone else in months, possibly years.

Thankfully, Jeremy gets it, understood it right away. He doesn’t necessarily talk to Ryan—more like at him? but really only for important matters like if he sees something suspicious, spots something like dinner or water, a potential shelter. It’s good. It’s not great, but it’s good. For Jeremy at least. He has someone who’s willing to look after him, willing to tolerate him and let him sleep against his shoulder during the night.

For Ryan, it’s … it’s interesting in its development. From picking up a stray tag along in a town he only stayed in for one night, to suddenly having a capable partner who knows how to look for a viable source of water, who can determine if that shuffling is an injured animal or an actual zombie. Jeremy’s good. He can probably make it on his own now, and they’ve passed along several human caravans on the way to wherever it is they’re going (Ryan’s hoping for the ocean because he likes the sound of rushing water, the thunderous crash of waves). But Jeremy seems content on staying with him. Ryan doesn’t know why. Why would a perfectly _normal_ human come along and stay with a Feral? Someone who doesn’t talk, who’ll respond more in grunts than actual words, that has very little idea of how to deal with human sensibilities and emotional needs, because Ryan’s distanced himself so far from that part of his mind that he’s not even sure where to begin with this.

_This._

What even is this exactly?

Is it a feeling? The human emotion of love ranging more on the romantic spectrum than platonic? He’s not sure. But he feels something for Jeremy, right? But he’s sure that Jeremy returns the sentiment along those lines.

Jeremy shows his care in very specific ways. Sometimes with words that he isn’t expecting an answer to. Like—

“Found you a whetstone on that farm we passed by.”

He pressed it into Ryan’s palm and curled Ryan’s fingers around it. Let the touch linger.

Or—

“Heads up!”

He tossed an apple at Ryan as they passed through an orchard. There were many apples on the trees—the fruit had been in season. Ryan could’ve reached for any of the fruit on the ground, the low hanging branches, but he caught what Jeremy tossed him, and gave an affirmative grunt.

But sometimes Jeremy shows his appreciation in actions only.

Replacing Ryan’s boots when they get warn out with a pair he scavenged, doing it before Ryan even notices. Cleaning his gun because Ryan still doesn’t know his way around firearms, prefers snares and bows and arrows. Sewing up his jacket when it gets a tear and they don’t have the time to scavenge another.

All of these small things that Ryan can do on his own, but appreciates how Jeremy goes out of his way to help Ryan in any way that he can. He’s not put off by Ryan’s quirks, his absolute dislike to use words, sometimes his cold demeanor when he just needs to be by himself. He sticks by with Ryan because apparently Ryan’s better than the alternative. Ryan’s steady, dependable, and maybe that’s why Jeremy stays.

It all goes a bit wrong when Ryan makes a miscalculation on a jump and sprains his ankle. _Badly._

Jeremy supports him all the way to the nearest house where he gets Ryan into the bedroom and sets him down. The windows are already boarded up, but Jeremy heard shuffling on their way here. He eases the boot off of Ryan’s foot to which Ryan grunts and Jeremy says, “I know, pal. I know.” He rushes, then, sees to wrapping up Ryan’s foot and propping it up. Now if only they had some ice. That’s a real old world treat.

Once Ryan’s secure and Jeremy’s figured out how to barricade the door, Ryan watches as Jeremy goes for his ax. A mean looking thing with two and half foot handle.

“I have to, Ryan,” Jeremy says. “Just to make sure.”

Ryan grunts, but it’s clear that Jeremy doesn’t know if it’s from the pain or just an admission of ‘don’t leave me.’

Jeremy goes. He hears him lock up the door tight and then he’s gone.

Ryan’s left on the bed with a busted ankle. Now. He’s been alone for years already. That’s how he went Feral in the first place. It doesn’t make sense as to why he’s freaking out now. Why he feels a sudden surge of panic. And not the good panic either, not the kind that kicks in with the adrenaline and gives you a god like feeling.

No. All Ryan can do is lie there and fiddle, making noises like a scared child. He’s not sure how long he’s alone. Just that he suffers through every minute of it. Then he can’t take it anymore. Rolls of the bed, gets onto his hands and knees because his foot is killing him and he gets to the door. He sits at the door, holds his breath and listens. Nothing. No sound. His heart feels like it’s in his throat. He sets his hand on the door knob. If he loses Jeremy … if he—if he

If he loses Jeremy, then there’s no reason for him to go on.

The door opens before he even gets a chance to try and get himself out.

Jeremy stands there. Looking breathless, victorious, _alive._

He looks down at Ryan. “What are you doing out of bed, big guy? Come on. Let’s get you up.” He barricades them again securely before helping Ryan get back up on the bed. Just as he thinks Jeremy’s going to get off, he tugs him back down. Looks at him so worriedly.

“Ryan?” Jeremy says. “What’s wrong, pal?”

“Thought you gone,” Ryan says. It’s the most words he’s strung together in weeks. But he needs to get this sentiment across. Needs Jeremy to understand how much he means to him. “Thought I lost. You. Lost you.”

Jeremy’s look softens. He puts his hand on Ryan’s shoulder. “It’ll take a lot more than that to get rid of me.”

He kicks off his boots, takes off his coat and gets down on the musty bed with Ryan. Ryan sets his head on Jeremy’s chest and listens for the beat, _beat, beat._

As sure as the crashing waves.


End file.
